Quilting and other random thoughts

Timing Is Everything On The Road!

Let me just say right now how great my Dad is. 🙂 This is his road trip to which I invited myself, but he is on board with visiting a few (?!) quilt shops along the way. I promised I would find shops on our route and not spend too much time in them. (So far, so good!)

Leaving Indiana proved a little tricky. If we left too early, the chosen shop would not be open yet, but we were trying to be in Springfield, Illinois early enough to spend time at the Lincoln Museum and Presidential Library.

Thankfully, we had been up late the night before visiting with Reuben and Dottie, so we didn’t get up at the crack of dawn. 😉 The drive from Elwood to Noblesville didn’t take very long and we had to wait only about 10 minutes for “Always in Stitches” to open.

It was a fun shop, but didn’t have any fabric that said Indiana on it (except for sports teams, which I did not want). So, after much thought I chose a fabric with red background and green leaves that reminded me of all the barns and deciduous trees in the Indiana countryside. Bonus – this was on the sale rack, too! 🙂

Back in the car, we made a beeline for the Illinois border and “Threads of Time” in Danville. This time, I actually got the welcome sign at the border:

And we saw a billboard for the quilt shop!

Let me tell you, even Dad was impressed with this shop. It was hard not to be since it also housed a retreat center! The shop owners bought a former nursing home, so it’s perfect. There are beds for 36 overnighters.

There is a design room where classes are held and there is an endless supply of coffee, tea and goodies for shoppers and retreat-goers. (Dad enjoyed this while I shopped!) There are two sewing rooms, one with space for 16 quilters and the other with space for 45!

The retreat center does not provide meals, but there are two kitchens available for use, plus a grill in the garden/patio area.

Personally, I think I would be in trouble if I were to retreat here because just steps away is the quilt shop which boasts 6500 bolts of fabric, sewing machines, notions, and a separately owned yarn shop!

Not able to find a fabric that specifically mentioned Illinois, I chose a postage stamp fabric that has a Chicago postmark on it. It reminded me of travel.

Okay — here’s my confession. The clerk did show me the Fighting Illini fabric at which I turned up my nose! And she pointed out the Route 66 fabric, but I didn’t understand why!! When I told Dad later in the car, he set me straight and told me Route 66 started in Chicago and we would be traveling on portions of the old highway!!! Silly me, I have always associated the road with California, the Southwest, and southern Midwest and never really thought of it being in the northern part of the country. Oh well, I like the postage stamp fabric. 🙂

We spent a little bit more time here than planned, but it was worth the stop. Even Dad enjoyed it, but then he got cookies with his coffee!

We arrived in Springfield late afternoon, but still had time to tour the Lincoln Museum, but more on that in my next post. 🙂

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4 thoughts on “Timing Is Everything On The Road!”

This had been fun following you DawnMarie. What a patient Dad you must have. My sister lives in Kankakee, Ilinois so we have been around that country some. Also to Springfield to Lincoln’s museum which we thoroughly enjoyed. I am not a quilting person, although I love quilts, but it sounds like you have gotten some good materials. Glad for you and also for you to be with your Dad.

Good thing that quilting place for retreats isn’t here or church would be empty all the time! ha

Back when I lived in IN, my guild chartered a bus to go to all the shops on a shop hop. Threads of Time was in it, and I loved the shop. I always intended to return, but never made it. Now I live in Portland, OR. I just visited a Route 66 commemorative quilt exhibit in Redmond, near Sisters. Thanks for visiting and following my blog. 🙂